Dozens of Virtual Pedestrians Die During Driving Simulation Event

Valdosta, GA - A Georgia State Trooper, Shane Copeland, said "I was looking at my phone and hit a pedestrian in the crosswalk... Not paying attention to the roadway."

Luckily it was only virtual people that payed the ultimate price at the hands of more than a hundred drivers at Valdosta State University. They were all participants in a simulator designed to highlight the dangers of texting while driving.

According to AT&T 75% of teenagers text when they're behind the wheel. According to the website www.distraction.gov, sending or receiving a text message takes a driver's eyes from the road for an average of 4 point six seconds. Thats the equivalent of driving the entire length of a football field at 55 miles per hour blind. Many parents feel that's not worth the risk when it comes to their kids.

Holly Wright is a mother of two boys. She said "if they need to make a call, or they need to make a text for some reason they can pull over into a parking lot and stop that vehicle all together. It's just something were just going to insist on."

In 2010 more than 3 thousand people were killed in crashes involving distracted drivers.

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